Who doesn’t love teaching dogs tricks? Not only is it a nice way to bond with your pets, it can also improve your dog’s overall obedience and manners. Just don’t forget to give them tasty treats to make it all worthwhile.
If you want to know some popular training tricks your pups can learn, check out our list!
1. Shaking hands (or paws)
Puppers love to use their paws, especially when they want snacks, but did you know that you can use this in another way? Just like how hoomans greet each other by shaking hands, doggos can learn how to do this too!
Have them sit, hold a treat in front of them, then say “shake hands” and hold their paws as they raise it. Keep doing this and soon, they’ll learn to greet you the same way you greet your friends.
2. Waving
After you’ve taught them how to shake hands, puppers can also learn to wave hi or goodbye.
From the same sitting position, have them lift their paws upward instead of reaching for your hand. You can do this by waving a treat in the air and having them reach for it instead. It gets a lot of attention in social media and it’s cute to watch too.
3. Doing a high five
Ever given someone a high five for a job well done? Your pups deserve it too!
After teaching them how to wave, it’s easy to make them do this. Have them reach out their paw to you first, then make your palm touch it and say “high five!”. Give them a treat and praise them right after this so they can remember it well.
4. Standing
One of the most basic tricks after sitting is to get pups to stand on their 2 hind legs.
To get started, have them sit, then hold a treat in front of their nose. As your doggo reaches for it, move the treat upwards and say “stand!”. It’s a great trick to learn if you plan on grooming them to look extra fabulous for the camera.
5. Dancing
This trick is usually easier to teach the smaller and lighter pups below 40 pounds, especially if they’ll be on their hind legs a bit longer.
First, get them to stand, then slowly move at treat around in front of your doggo so that it can follow your hand. Keep doing this until they can dance in a circle on their hind legs. That way, you’ll be able to dance along with them during playtime.
6. Begging
It’s always cute to see pups begging for a tasty snack. After all, who could resist giving the cute furry doggo something nice?
From sitting, have them raise their paws just enough that they can reach the treat. It’s a little harder to teach, but keep at it and they’ll be begging for those irresistible snacks!
7. Bowing
Believe it or not, dogs bow to each other especially when they want to play. When you see them putting their chest to the ground and raising their rear ends, that means it’s time for fun!
Pick a moment when they’re most playful and then give them the command to bow, they’ll learn it in no time at all.
8. Playing Fetch
A classic trick every pup should know. Start with a toy or a ball that they love, throw it and tell them to come back. Once they do, tell them to drop the item and give them a treat.
9. Cleaning their toys
After playtime, it’s always a good idea to put the toys back where they belong. If you’ve taught them how to fetch beforehand, the trick this time is to get your pups to drop their toys back in the box or basket.
You can do this by holding a treat over the place where you keep their toys. Have them fetch a ball or their fave toy, then have them come over.
10. “Speaking”
It would be nice if our furry friends can talk, but the next best thing is to control when they bark. Teaching them to bark by command can be fun and useful.
If your dog is the vocal kind, try holding a treat in front of them and telling them to stay quiet.
Once they know when to stop barking or making noise, you can start by training them when to bark. Things like getting you to play, when it’s time to eat, and go out are common contexts when you can tell them to make noise. You can train them to do this when bringing a leash, a dog bowl, or even their toys.
These tricks are a great way to play with your doggos, but it’s even better with tasty Awesome Pawsome treats!
Check out our 6 irresistible flavors that are made in New Zealand, all inspired by the food we humans love.
Grab a pack of Awesome Pawsome at a store near you, or check us out on Facebook and Instagram.